Floor-standing Speaker Placement

The placement, or rather the positioning of your home floor-standing speaker can greatly influence its overall performance. Most people have had this problem where after positioning their speakers, they realize that the sound quality, tonal accuracy and the imaging is not as inspiring as they had expected.

Most people may not believe this but it’s the plain truth: Speakers, especially floor-standing speakers have a very complex interaction with the rooms they operate in. For instance, for a tower speaker to produce deep uninterrupted bass, you need to consider the dimensions of the room (the height, the length and the width), the items in your room such the couches, wall units, bookshelves, and tables, and finally the materials used on the walls, the ceiling and the floor (such as tiles, carpets, or hardwood).

Get the right room

The size of a room is one of the major factors that affects the quality of sound produced by a speaker. When a house is too small or too large, some frequencies may either be reinforced or suppressed thus affecting the sound quality. According to professionals, rooms with dimensions that are multiples such as 8′ x 16′ x 24′ should be avoided at all cost as they tend to influence the standing waves.

Standing waves are waves created when reflected waves from walls collide with waves produced by your tower speaker. This causes an increase in the volume of the bass which is mostly not good.

Distance to the side and back walls

After you’ve decided which room to place your speakers, the next task is to decide where you’ll position them. Most people prefer placing their speakers next to the wall. This is not a good idea because when a speaker is too close to a wall, there will be production of reflections which improve the bass but lower the quality of midrange and mid bass sounds.

To avoid this, floor-standing speakers should be placed at least 1’ to 2’ away from the back and side walls for improved accuracy and sound imaging.

Speaker angling and distance to the listener

Another factor that affects the quality of sound produced by a tower speaker is the distance to the listener and the toe-in or angling. For a speaker to be effective, the sound must arrive to the listener at exactly the same time. This means that the speakers must be placed at exactly the same distance to the listener.

To improve the sound quality, it’s perfect if you place the speakers at an angle other than placing them in a straight position. This idea helps to improve the sound imaging and clarity since most of the reflections have been reduced.

Your room’s furnishings and reflectors

The number and type of items in your room can also greatly affect the sound imaging. In most rooms, you’re likely to find tables, chairs, couches and cabinets. The materials used to make these items can absorb or reflect sound. For instance, tables and cabinets designed with glass tops or doors tend to reflect sound as compared go wooden or fiber-made items.

On the other hand, the color of the walls, the ceiling and the materials used to make the floor can also reflect sound. Due to this reason, music enthusiasts looking to enjoy serious sounds are recommended to cover their floors, glass tables and cabinets with woolen carpets. In addition to this, it’s advisable for you to cover your home windows with curtains to ensure that any reflected sound is absorbed.

Distance between the speakers

The distance between the two floor-standing speakers can greatly influence the quality of sound produced. While some people prefer placing the speakers close together, others enjoy the surround-sound music produced when the speakers are apart. Before determining where to place the speakers, always check the manual to know the exact distance of placing the tower speakers.

Additional sub-woofer

Suppose you purchased the two tower speakers with an additional sub-woofer. In such a scenario, it would be best if you could find the perfect place to position the sub. Some people would prefer to place the sub against the wall so that the sound produced is reflected and deeper.

Although this is not a bad idea, it would be a good idea if you could walk around the room and recognize a spot where the sub seems to deliver perfect sound without being reflected.

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